The Price of Happiness
by The1stAlchemist
Summary: Ed got Al's body back. They are now returning home. Everything is perfect, right? OneShot. EdxWinry.  Tragedy/Angst/Romance/Horror, If this kind of thing scares you?


_This is my first fanfic. It may be poorly written, I don't know, it looks good to me.  
>Rating: Ages 13+ I don't know. Cursing. That's it.<em>  
><em>Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.<br>R&R!_

**_The Price of Happiness_**

"Winry, Al can come home now. It's over. I got Al's body back!" A voice said through the phone, excitedly.

"That's great news, Ed. Aren't you coming too?" Winry asked, worried at the answer.

"Well, not immediately?"

"I haven't seen you in three years. Three damned years, Ed. I feel like I'm talking to a stranger! You only visit when you need an automail repair! You just drop in and drop out. Do I mean nothing to you? I have missed you so much! "

"Winry, it's just that-"

"What? You've been busy? That excuse again, Ed? Homes are where people live with loved ones, right? You burned down your only home! Ed I hate you! I don't wa-"Click.

"Granny, I just kicked Ed out. OH GOD. WHAT DID I DO! I DON'T HATE HIM!"

She tried calling back several times with no answer,

"It's okay, Winry. He'll come home." Granny Pinako said, trying to reassure the blonde mechanic.

_~~~o0o~~~_

Edward walked out of the phone booth slowly, his brother standing just outside it.

"So, was she excited!" Alphonse asked, admiring his new look.

"Yeah, she about burst into tears." Ed wasn't lying. She had sounded like she was about to cry. "Let's go home."

"Brother, what's wrong?" Al could see right through his brother. The only person who read Edward Elric better than Al was Winry.

"I'm just tired is all."

"I know you better than that. What's on your mind?"

"Actually, I have something to do before I go home. You're going to have to show her your body without me. Can you give something to Winry for me?" Ed held out a small box.

"What do you mean? You're not coming with me? We were supposed to show her together!" Alphonse was worried about Ed. He never acted this way. "I'm not going without you, brother!"

"Don't be stupid." Ed said while opening the box and putting a note in it. "You're going on the next train. Don't worry, I'll be there tomorrow."

"But broth-" Ed put his hand over Al's mouth and put the box in his pocket.

"Now, let's go to the train station."

_~~~o0o~~~_

Winry was home, working on new automail. This design was supposed to be a lot lighter. Winry was always coming up with new designs. That's when she looked out the window to her shop to see someone approaching down the road.

"Why is someone coming here? We close at five." Winry thought aloud. Then she realized the figure looked to be no older than 17. "Oh my..." Winry ran out of the shop to Alphonse.

"Hey Win-" the mechanic tackled Alphonse to the ground in a hug before he could even greet her. "Winry! I have lungs now! I can't breathe!" Winry heard this, smiled and got up off of him.

"Al! It's so good to see you back to your old self! I'll start on an apple pie right when we get inside. Ed told me to have one ready for when you guys returned, but I hadn't had time on such short notice! Come to think of it, where is that idiot?"

"He said he had one more thing to do in Central before he returned home. Oh, and he told me to give you this." Al handed her the small box Ed had given him.

Winry opened it and her eyes widened. It was a ring. A silver ring with a small emerald embedded into it. Then she saw the note.

It read:  
><em>Dear Winry,<em>  
><em>I had originally wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. I still do, actually. I love you, more than anything in this world. But I guess our thoughts are different on that subject. Tell Al not to wait for me. I don't plan to return to Resembool. Please don't ever let him leave. I'm not there to protect him any longer and it worries me, but I'll be alright. These are probably the last words you will ever receive from me again. I really don't know what I will do for the rest of my life, serve the military? It kills me, but this is for the best. I love you…and sorry for never visiting. Aw fuck it, Winry. I never think anything through. I didn't get to tell you what I had to give up for Al's body over the phone. Best if you guys don't know.<em>  
><em>~Ed~<em>  
><em><br>_"Ed… you idiot." Winry was balling.

"Winry! What's wrong? Please tell me!"

"Ed's not coming home, Al." Winry said through her tears.

"W-what do you mean! He told me. He said he would come tomorrow! I don't understand! What is keeping him from coming home! He did what we set out to do! Now were finally done and he just up and leaves?"

"It's my fault, Al. Please calm down." Winry said, barely any use of emotion.

"I CAN'T CALM DOWN! BROTHER ISN'T COMING HOME, WINRY! WHY!"

"Because I told him that the only home he had was in ashes, I told him he wasn't welcome, I told him so many lies. I was so mad at him. Oh my God, what have I done."

"Winry…"

"I love him too. We would have had a happy family, living the rest of our lives. I'M SUCH AN IDIOT!"

"Alphonse! It's good to see you back to your old self! Looks like Ed actually can do some things successfully. Where is Ed, anyway?" Granny Pinako said, walking down the steps to their house. Winry looked to her, her face blood red with tears running down her face. "Winry, what is it dear?"

"Ed isn't coming home, granny. He won't be coming home and it's my fault." Winry handed the note to Pinako. Pinako read over the note, eyes widening with each word.

"That idiot." Pinako said after she finished the note. "Finally admitting that he loves my granddaughter then leaving her, stupid boy. He's gonna have a lot of explaining to do when you get to Central."

_~~~o0o~~~_

"Fullmetal…" Roy Mustang was growing impatient. "Ed…"

"…"

"EDWARD!"

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT?" Ed screamed. Ed didn't hate the colonel,  
>like some would think, Mustang was actually like a father to him.<p>

"I WANT YOU TO FOLLOW YOUR DAMNED ORDERS!"

"Yeah, well screw you."

"I am your commanding officer. You will do as you're told, Fullmetal."

"What're you gonna do? Punish me? Hurt me? Kill me? I'm already dead."

"You're pathetic. Why did you even come back to Headquarters? You're mission is done. You got Al's body back, why do you go home?"

"My home has been destroyed since I left for the military. Not much to return to, wouldn't you think, Colonel?"

"You have Winry, isn't that welcoming enough, Ed?" Riza Hawkeye added in.

"She hates me. I fucked up too many times to be forgiven."

"Edward, go home." Mustang said. "That's an order."

"That's an impossible order, Colonel."

"You're so stubborn," Mustang said under his breathe.

"Winry loves you, Ed. How could you just let her go?" Riza asked with sympathy.

"It wasn't easy. It's taken all I've got. But you love someone too, Lieutenant. It's the same situation. What would you do if he died before you told him you love him? I told Winry I loved her before I left. I sent her the ring I was going to use to purpose to her with. It's the most painful thing I've ever felt."

"Then why are you putting yourself through it?" Mustang asked.

"YOU HAVE NO IDEA, MUSTANG. YOU KNOW WHAT I HAD TO GIVE UP FOR AL'S BODY? I HAD TO GIVE UP MY FUCKING HAPPINESS! IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT I WANT. IF I GO THERE, AL WOULD BE TAKEN BACK! HE WOULD DIE!" Ed finally calmed down. "Tell you what; I'll go to Resembool when you propose to Riza." And with that, Ed left the room with Mustang wide eyed, blushing.

"That boy has had the hardest life. To give up happiness for the rest of your life, Ed doesn't deserve this."

"No one deserves that." Roy agreed.

_~~~o0o~~~_

"This is my stop. If anyone knows where Ed is, it's Mustang." Winry thought as she got off the train

"How did Ed ride these? They hurt…" Winry said as she felt a sharp pain rush through her lower back. "…A lot."

She made her way to Central Command. When she got inside, she was on her way to his office. Knock-knock. Riza Hawkeye came and opened the door.

"Winry? This is unexpected." Riza said smiling.

"Have you seen Ed?" Winry asked, Riza's facial expression changing quickly.

"He was in my office just an hour ago. He is broken. I've never seen a boy look more pathetic than he did earlier. He wouldn't listen to anything I had to say. I told him to go home and he was furious. Winry, do you know what he had to give up for Al?"

"He said it was best if we didn't know."

"That's just like him, putting other's wellbeing before his own… He gave up his happiness. "

"His happiness? I don't understand! You can't simply take happiness away! It's an emotion!"

"If he fails to do this, Al will be taken back, killed."

Winry sat down and started crying. Riza went over and tried to comfort her but Winry just sent her away claiming she was fine.

"Ed's probably still here." Mustang claimed.

Winry shot up. "What can I do? It doesn't make a difference."

There was then a ear-piercing screech from down the hall followed by and loud crash.

"Ed!" With that, she ran out the door, Riza right behind her

"His room is the next one on the left." Riza directed.

Winry barged in through the door and saw a figure lying on the bed.  
>"Ed?" She got closer to the person. "Edward?" She got close enough to identify the face to be Ed's. "EDWARD! I was s-" Winry froze. There was blood all over the side of the bed Ed was on. "E-Ed? Edward?"<p>

"Winry, what is it?" Riza said noticing the tears start to form.

"So much blood. So much. Ed's blood everywhere. R-Riza, Ed… Ed... He's bleeding, Riza." The blonde was stunned by how much blood she had seen. How much of Ed's blood she had seen, pouring from a wound in his stomach.

"Oh my God! Winry, stay here!" Riza dashed out the door to call an ambulance and to get Roy.

"W-Winry? I-Is that you?" Ed was barely conscious.

"ED! Try not to talk."

"Winry, d-did you g-get the letter I s-sent you w-w-with Al?" As Ed choked up more blood, he noticed the ring on Winry's left hand.

"ED! PLEASE, STAY WITH ME!"

"Winry, I-I have nothing t-to live for, except t-to at-t-tend that bastard's wedding b-but I don't think I'll make it."

"ED! DON'T TALK! I love you too much for you to die on me now."

"Winry, y-you l-love me?"

"Edward, I love you so much. Please, don't die now. You have plenty to live for. You have a future family waiting on you!"

"I-I'm dying, W-Win." Edward began to lose the fight for life.

"No you're not. You're not dying before Granny." Winry started to cry.

"Winry…"

"Edward. I am so sorry, Edward."

"…"

"Ed?"

"…"

"ED!"

"Winry, th-there's only o-one way t-to make sure th-that I'm never h-happy. I-I'm not allowed t-to kill myself, Win. B-but you can. I'm f-fucking your life up all ov-ver again by a-asking th-this. But it's th-the only w-way w-we can save Al. Winry, I need you to kill me."

"ED! I can't do that!"

"Winry, pl-please think about this! I-I need to save him!"

"Edward, I love you! HOW COULD I KILL YOU?"

"I can't l-let him die! IT'S ME OR AL AND I WONT LET HIM DIE, WINRY. Please, end this…for me." Ed looked right into her eyes. He was crying. Winry grabbed the knife Ed had set out for her. She could barely see straight for all of the tears.

"Edward..."

"Stab m-me in the heart, it w-will be the quickest d-death in th-the condition I'm in."

"Edward, I'm so sorry-" Ed put his fingers to her lips.

"You're doing m-me a favor."

"I love you, alchemy freak."

"I love you, automail junkie."

With those last words, Winry jabbed the knife into Ed's heart.

_~~~o0o~~~_  
><em>R&amp;R, too sa<em>


End file.
